Adjustable roof for silos



I Ma,y e, 1924. 1,492,882

J. F. KELLER ADJUSTABLE ROOF FOR SILOS Origi Patented May 6, 1 924.

" UNITED STATES PAT EN'T' GFF [C E.

JOHN FREDERICK KELLER, or VICTOR, Iowa.

ADJUSTABLE ROOF FOR SILOS.

Application filedApril 12-, 1921, Serial No.460,749. Renewed October 8, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJoHN -F. IELLE.R, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Victor, in the county of Iowa and the State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Adjustable Roof for Silos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in silo roofs. A considerable di'fiiculty has been experiencedin the past in filling silos having roofs fastened to the top. While it has been possible to fill them to the top at the time the silage is being placed in the silo, a considerable space is wasted due to the fact that the silage settles six or eight feet after several days time materially reducing the capacity of the silo.

In filling silos that have no roofs, it is sometimes customary to place a detachable casing on the upper edge of the silo which may consist of woven wire or a slatted fence of about six or eight feet in height and is filledat the time the silo'is filled. When the silage settles,- it will then just about fill the silo. The casing may then be removed. r I It is the object. of my invention toprovide a roof for a silo which may be adapted to be elevated a considerable distance above the upper edge of the silo so that a circular detachable casing or fence may be placed above the upper edge of the silo, and the silo and the casing filled with silage, after the silage settles, the casing may be removed and the roof lowered'into position. 3 More specifically, it is the object ofm invention to provide 'an improved roof for silos of comparatively simple, durable and inexpensive construction which is adapted to be elevated or' loweredrelative tothe upper edge of the silo.

Astill further object is to'provide-"means designed to bedetachably secured to the upperedgeof thesilo for supportingth'e roof above referred to when in its raised or lowered position. v

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the "art. I My invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated. are; attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed-out in my claims, and illustrated the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 'is an end elevation myl impro whi h;1 is: comp tiv ly i p a cheer-tr, builidue .1 9 the teat tha heboar Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is acentral, transverse sectional view of my improved roof.

Figure 4 is a detail longitudinalsectional view of the same. I

Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of the brackets for securing the roof in position.

Figure 6- is an end elevation of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 5.

I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a silo which may be built of either wood, hollow tile or cement in the usual way. Theroof of the silo may be built as annit and elevated in position as the silo is built, if it is so desired, andcomprises beam members 11 which are arranged parallel with each other and spaced apart a distance equal to substantially of about three-fourths the diameter of the silo. These members are .secured together by means of transverse pieces 12. Arranged near the central portion of the pieces 12,

.are parallelmembers 13 parallel with the members 11 and spaced apart so as to receive avertical member 14 at eachend and between them This member has its upper end extending upward a slight distance and designed to receive two members 15 are parallel to the members 13.

which These members ,15 are'braced by means ofbraces'1'6, the upper edge of the members 15 being considerably'above the upper edge of the members 11, and provided with means for supporting the roof board 17. These roof boards are so formed that they form a circle as viewed from the to to conform with the shape of the. silo w ich ,is circular, and are of such length as to .have their ends overhang the walls of the silo a considerable distance. The pieces 15 and 13 are of such length as topermit the vertical member 14 to project outside of the silo wall, as clearly shown in Figures;

1'and2.

For closing the ends of the roof portion,

vI have provided circular end pieces 18 which have their ends secured to the outside faces of the members 11 and passed around the shown in Figuresl and 2.

h s arrangement, I have formed a 17 are of uniform width instead of being made tapered as is usually the practice in circular roofs, and the beams 11, 13 and 15 are of stock materialand require no fitting with the exception of possibly beveling the beams 11 on the top,'which is not absolutely necessary. This at the same time provides a rigid construction whereby the roof maf, be lifted. by the vertical members 14.

designed to be secured to the upper edge of the silo and on the outer face 'of the wall, diametrically opposite positions.

These brackets are detachable and they may be applied to either the wood or masonry silos, and preferably comprising two parallel straps 19 having inwar ly projecting hook portions 20, the said members 19 being secured together by means of cross pieces 21, 22, 23 and 24. The cross piece 21 isprovided at one end with a laterally extending portion 25 which is provided with an opening for receiving one end of a rope 26. The oppositeend is provided with a projection designed to receive a pulley 2'7.

This member 21 also has a loop portion 28 at its central portion, as clearly shown in Figure 7, which is of such size as to receive one of the members 14 of the roof and to permit it to slide freely therein. The member 23 is also provided with a loop portion 29 similar to the loop portion 28 and intended for the same purpose. The members 23 and 29 are spaced apart such a distance that one of the members 14 may be slidably mounted therein, and when so mounted the said member may be held against lateral swinging movement.

The member 22 which is mounted adjacent to the lower edge of the member 21 and provided at each end with a lateral projection The member 24, which is mounted adjacent to the lower edge of the member 23, is also provided with similar projections 31. These projections 30 and 31 are provided with holes 32.

lVhen it is desired to place the brackets on a silo of masonry construction, the hooks 20 are placed over the top edge of the silo at diametrically opposite positions, after which the rods 33 are passed around the silo having their ends entering the openings 32. A. nut 34 is placed on each of the ends of the rods which are then tightened and the bracket held securely in position, it being understood, of course, that the rods 33 are of a length substantially of one-half the circumference of the silo so that the two brackets may be rigidly secured in position. If a wood silo is used, the brackets may be bolted in position by passing bolts through the openings 35 in the pieces 19 and into the wall of the silo. This could be done with masonry silos if so desired. After the brack- For adjustably securing the roof in posi tion on the silo, I have provided a bracket" with their loop portions 23 and 29 over the members 14 and slid upwardly into position and then fastened.

For raising and lowering the roof, I have provided'a pulley 36 on the lower end of each of the members 14 through which the rope 26 is passed, and then flirouglr the pulley 27, then through a pulley 37 which is secured to the base of the silo. The rope from the opposite side of the silo is brought to a second pulley 37, the two pulleys being arranged in a position substantially midway between the members 14 and at the base of the silo.

For operating the rope, I have provided a jack formed of inclined members 38 which are spaced apart and tied together by means of cross pieces 39, the pieces 38 being or ranged with their upper ends adjacent to the side of the silo, while the lower ends rest on the ground some distance from the foundation, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

These members 38 are designed to have a drum 4O rotatively mounted in position between them. This drum is provided with a crank 41 at each end, and a ratchet member 42, said ratchet being designed to be engaged by a pawl 43. The pulleys 37 are mounted ata point near the bottom of the silo in such a manner that the ropes 26 be wound upon the drum, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, in such a manner that as the said drum is rotated, the members 38 will be forced against the side of the silo and against the ground so as to firmly hold it into position. The further rotation of the drum will cause the members 14 to be elevated in unison and the roof to be elevated. After the roof has been elevated to a position substantially as shown in the detail Figure 3, the silo is then ready to be filled.

After the silo has been filled to the top, a

circular wire fencing, or similar device, may.

be placed on the upper edge of the silo and the said wire portion fill d. After the silage has settled, the roof may be then lowered into the position shown in'Figure 1. The loop portions 28 and 29 of the brackets serve to hold the roof against swinging movement when it' is in its elevated position, and also serves to hold the roof in its proper position when in a lowered position. The roof is held in its upper position by means of the pawl 43 being in engagement with the ratchet 42. p

By this arrangement, it be seen that I have provided a roof which may be economically constructed and which is also adapted to be elevated and lowered relative to the top of the silo for the purpose as before stated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a bracket provided with hooks designed to rest on the upper edge of a-silo wall and provided with guide ways for slidably mounting vertically moving members, and retaining bands for said brackets designed to surround the silo wall.

2. The combination of a silo, a unitary roof member adapted to be raised and lowered at the upper end of said silo, means for raising and lowering said roof member comprising downwardly, projecting {members secured to said roof member, a pulley in the lower end of each of said down-' wardly projecting members, bracket members having hooks for engaging the ,upper edge of said silo wall and guides for said downwardly extending members, a rope securing lug. and pulley and means for securing the bracket against: transverse movement relative to the wall, pulleys at the bottom of said silo, a cable for each of said cable lugs designed to pass through the pulleys in the lower end of said downwardly extending members, then through the pulleys of said brackets, thence downwardly to the bottom end of said silo and through the pulleys at the bottom of said silo, a drum for simultaneously winding both of said cables and means for locking said drum against unwinding. 3

"3. In a device of the class described, a bracket provided with hooks designed to rest on the upper edgeof a silo wall and provided with guide ways for slidably mounting vertically moving members, and retaining bands for said brackets designed to surround the silo wall, said bracket also being provided with a rope retaining lug and a rope pulley.

4. In a device of the class described, a bracket comprising parallel bars each having a hook at its upper end, a transverse bar near said hooks, a pulley in one end of said transverse bar and means for attaching a rope in the other end of said transverse bar, a guide loop in the central portion of said bar, a transverse bar near the lower end of said parallel bars having a guide loop and a set of transverse hook bearing bars.

Des Moines, Iowa, February 19, 1921.

JOHN FREDERICK KELLER. 

